portion
[pawr-shuh n, pohr-]
- a part of any whole, either separated from or integrated with it: I read a portion of the manuscript.
- an amount of food served for one person; serving; helping: He took a large portion of spinach.
- the part of a whole allotted to or belonging to a person or group; share.
- the part of an estate that goes to an heir or a next of kin.
- Literary. something that is allotted to a person by God or fate.
- (especially formerly) the money, goods, or estate that a woman brings to her husband at marriage; dowry.
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- to divide into or distribute in portions or shares (often followed by out).
- to furnish with a portion, as with an inheritance or a dowry: All of his children have been amply portioned.
- to provide with a lot or fate: She was portioned with sorrow throughout her life.
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Origin of portion
1250–1300; Middle English porcion < Old French < Latin portiōn- (stem of portiō) share, part, akin to pars part
Synonyms
See more synonyms for portion on Thesaurus.com1. section, segment. See part. 2. ration. 3. allotment, quota, lot, dividend. 4. inheritance. 5. fortune, lot, destiny, doom. 7. allot, apportion. 8. endow.
Antonyms
1. whole.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for portion
Contemporary Examples
Counting encores, NBC estimated that over 44 million people had watched some portion of the production by the end of the month.
The Cast of ‘Peter Pan Live!’ Knows You Hatewatched ‘The Sound of Music’Kevin Fallon
December 2, 2014
In 2000, the Israeli government simply closed the portion of downtown Hebron under its control.
But they can win back a portion of it, and in many states and congressional districts, a portion will be enough to change things.
“They know how to take supplements, they know how to portion out their meals,” Smith said.
A portion of ticket proceeds will go to the Foundation for Education of Young Women.
Tickets on Sale Now For WITW TexasSeptember 18, 2014
Historical Examples
It is only right that I should employ a portion in His service.
Brave and BoldHoratio Alger
The hymn, the portion of Scripture, and the prayer of Brother Buster.
It would be a solecism in language to say that any portion of these is not included in the whole.
The scenery in this portion of the river is highly exciting.
It has been our good luck to recover a portion of that history.
Other Tales and SketchesNathaniel Hawthorne
portion
- a part of a whole; fraction
- a part allotted or belonging to a person or group
- an amount of food served to one person; helping
- law
- a share of property, esp one coming to a child from the estate of his parents
- the property given by a woman to her husband at marriage; dowry
- a person's lot or destiny
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- to divide up; share out
- to give a share to (a person); assign or allocate
- law to give a dowry or portion to (a person); endow
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Word Origin
C13: via Old French from Latin portiō portion, allocation; related to pars part
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for portion
n.
early 14c., "allotted part, share," from Old French porcion "part, portion" (12c., Modern French portion) and directly from Latin portionem (nominative portio) "share, part," accusative of the noun in the phrase pro portione "according to the relation (of parts to each other)" (see proportion). From late 14c. in general sense of "section into which something is divided."
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v.
"to divide in portions," early 14c., from Old French porcioner "share out, divide in portions," from porcion (see portion (n.)). Related: Portioned; portioning.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper